The Union government has set a target of bringing more than 76 lakh hectares under irrigation by 2019, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today.

“The Union government has set a target to bring more than 76 lakh hectares under irrigation by 2019,” he said while speaking at the inaugural session of three-day 2nd Agri-Leadership Summit-2017, which started today at Surajkund near Faridabad.

Singh said the central government is working on reducing the input cost so as to make farming profitable.

“The government has ensured availability of urea and other fertilisers at lesser rates without any hurdle. The government has also decided to produce neem coated urea for the benefit of farmers.. this urea is required less in quantity and gives higher crop yield by minimising the investment cost,” he said while spelling out the pro-farmer initiatives.

Lauding efforts of the Haryana government in the agriculture and allied sector, he said 340 villages of the state are being developed as horticulture villages and a full fledged Horticulture University is being established, which reflects the government’s commitments towards achieving the Prime Minister’s vision to double the farmers’ income by 2022.

While backing the river-linking projects as proposed under former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said the government is serious about it and efforts are being made for betterment of the farming community.

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The government has made a provision of Rs 8,000 crore for the promotion of dairy, poultry, fisheries and allied sector in 2017-18.

Haryana, according to the Union home minister, has taken effective steps so that agriculture could be converted into a “respectable and remunerative” occupation.

Terming Haryana as supplying chain to serve population of Delhi and its surrounding areas, Singh said the state has the potential to tap the market and fulfill the needs of customers by providing agriculture and allied products.

“The government is sensitive towards the farming community. The waiving off 60 days of interest on agriculture loan during demonetization period is an example of the government’s commitment towards farmers,” he said.

Speaking on this occasion, Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Minister O P Dhankar said the state is promoting peri urban agriculture in areas adjoining national capital Delhi and other important cities.

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare S S Ahluwalia and Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishan Pal Gujjar were also present.